Fluid actuating and control engine



A. D. MILLER.

FLUID ACTUATING AND CONTROL ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED IuLY 2, 1920.

Patented Mar. 29, 192i.

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FLUID'ACTu-ATING AND CONTROL ENGlNE.

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mmm Mar. 299v 1921.

APPLLCATION FILED JULY 2,1920.

A. D, MILLER.

FLUID ACTUATING AND CONTROL ENGINE.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 2,1920.

Patented Mar, 299 R921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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d? Emi D. Mille flIfoznc 1]@ ANDREW? .l"LlZER, GE? S'ENSTONN,PENNSYLVANA.

FLUID ACT'ATll-"G' Alg@ CONTROL ENGINE. i

Application filed July 2,

To all fui/7mm, it may concern.'

Be it lmoivn that l., ANDREW D. MILLER, a citizen ci the United Staes,residing at Johnstown, in the county ot Cambria and `tate otPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful F luid ctuating andControl Engines, of which the following` is a specilication. V

rlhe present invention relates to a fluid actuating and control engineby Which a iluid may be compressed or actuated in orde t lo ivorl; andmay constitute or Jiorm a ot various devices or apparatus, such as anair compressor, press, pump, jack and nuni reus other devices Where airunder pres- 'e or movement a fluid may be utilized in doing;` ivorlr.

@ne oi3 the principal objects or the invention is to provide mechanismby Which Worl may be accomplished and by which maxir muni results may1le attained with a miur muni ci effort. r'hat is by use oi' the prinieembodied in my invention there is an ot' poiver not less than 100g/2)'.F or instance when utilized as a hydraulic pump it willoperate under areturn pressure 100% er illy dividing resistance and back presssic .cioperation, Without losing any durii p rt of tho fluid ior release inaccomplishing this object.

i @other object of the invention is to promechanisml in which forcescoming),l thc moving parts thereof which might i cause movement counterto that ni h imparted thereto y are divided in such a man er as causethe parts to come soon as movement ceases to be imparten to the partsthrough some exterior source, such as a prime mover. For instance it theinvention is utilized as a pump for forcing Water upwardly and aftereach succeeding stroke the column ci Water increases in height, thusincreasing resistance, the back pressure is divided in such a mannerthat the divisions counteract one another and permit the parts to cometo rest, or assume static condition at any point during sphere oimovement as soon as the prime mover ceases to impart movement totheparts. ln this connection the mechanism is particularly Well adapted foruse as a part of elevator or hoist mechanism providing,n as it does aquick stop at any desired point, and an equal trictional power to beapplied by the prime mover in either raising` or lowering the load.y

l. L 165i.

Specification of Letters lateut.

1920. Serial No. 893,496.

lt also provides mechanism by which the prime mover is not subjected tofluctuating resistance during operation as it has but to overcomefriction ot resistance to movement of the parts in order to do Worlr.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will appear inthefollowing detailed description, taken in connection With theaccompanying drawings, 'forming a part of this speciiication, and inwhich drawings:

Figure l is a central vertical longitudinal sectional View Lhrough anengine used as a hydraulic jaclr, showing, by Way of example, oneapplication ot the principle of my invention.

Fig'. 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal sectionthrough the same.

Fi 3 is a similar vieuv to Fig. 2 showing a dilflerent position ot partschr-ring,r a sphere ot movement.

l is a similar view oi Figs. 2 and 3 sli(m'ini ,l a still differentposition ot parts.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing alle application or theprinciple et my 'i tion to a pump.

Fig. is fragmentary side elevation of pump and showing asource ot liquidsupply in the form of a reservoir in vertical section.

ln the drawings Where similar characters designate similar partsthroughout the several viens, l is a suitable trame for parts of themechanism and includes standards B and spaced parallel rails C; l) areciprocable element, such as a cylinder, providing a major chamber land a minor chamber F as by a suitable head or partition G in the cylider, this element slidable in the example shown, betr-veen the rails C;li a stationary plunger in minor chamber l? with respect to Which theelement may move; d reciprocable plunger in major chamber E; K meansproviding;` an outletV Way for liquid from major chamber E; L meansproviding a by pass Way from the outlet Way to the minor chamber ll; andM means for imparting movement to the clement D and plunger Jsimultaneouslj,r in

counter directions at an equal speed ratio shown in Figs. 1 to 4,inclusive, where the principle of the invention is shown applied to ahydraulic jack, N designates a piston having a head P, the pistonreciprocable in the outlet way olf means K. ln the device as shown inFigs. 5 and where the principle of the invention is shown applied to aliquid pump, Q designates a suitable source of liquid supply, such asreservoir; R an inlet way for major chamber E in communication withk thesource ot liquid supply Q; S a device to prevent bai-lz flow oi'rfliquid through way and T a device toprevent back flow. oit liquid in theoutlet way oli means K.

In the examples shown Vthe mechanisms are adapted to be disposed in ahorizontal position as to the main operating parts, although it is to beunderstood that this is merely by way ot example 'lor these parts may bedisposed in a vertical position or inclined, without departing ironi thespirit of the invention. The spaced parallel rails C may be formedintegral with, end portions '7 and 8, 'forming a rectangular frame,mounted upon the standards ll, and tor a purpose to be subsequently setforth, these rails Vare provided with longitudinally extending slots 9.f

The element l) is herein disclosed as a unit of cylindrical shape,having the partition (i: dividing its'bore into major and minor chambersE and J, respectively, these chambers being open at opposite ends or"the cylinder, the partition G beingrelatively nearer one end portion ofthe cylinder than the other, thus making one chamber relatively largerthan the other. rlhe element l) is adapted to reciprocate between therails C, as by the provision of diametrically op,- posite pins 10 and 11slidable in the slots l) of rails C.4 rlhus the element D may bereciprocated with respect to the trame A, being guided in apredetermined path by the slots o1 the rails of said frame.

The plunger H-may be made stationary with respect to trame A, as by a.pipe 12, which may form a. part or the means L, as hereinafter noted,this pipe Vbeing rigidly connected to the plunger E and the end framemember 7, as clearly shown in the drawings. The plunger H is made toengage element D. in the minor chamber Il" thereof, with fluid tightengagement, and 1s so positioned that when 4the cylinder is moved 1n onedirection, the plunger l is 1n close proximity topartitlon Gr, as Vshownin Y Figs. 2 and 5 oi the drawings.

The plunger J is also adapted for fluid tight engagement with element Dand disposed in major chamber E and is reciprocable relative tothecylinder, as hereinafter noted, by means M in afmanner that when thecylinder l) is moved' in an opposite direction 'from that above noted,this plunger J will come into close proximity with the partition G, asshown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The means K providing an outlet way for fluid from the major chamber E,in the Vexample shown, comprises telescopic pipe sections 13 and 14theformer being reciprocable with plunger J and carried thereby, while thelatter is stationary, and support ed in any suitable manner, by theframe A; suitable pipe sections' 15 and fittings 16, such as elbows,lfor the conducting of fluid from pipe sections 13 and 141, to avertically disposed pipe section 17 which, in the example shown in Figs.1 to 4, inclusive, of the draiivings constitutes the cylinder in whichthe plunger N reciprocates.

The means L providing a by-pass way from this outlet means ofthe majorchamber, to the minor chamber may comprise suitable iittings 18 and 19,and pipe sections 20 and 21 in addition to the pipe section12, theitting 1S being in the form of a T interposed between pipe sections 15ot' means K and from which the pipe sections 20 leads to elbow 19, whichis in connection with` pipe litting 21, the latter being, in the exampleshown in communication with a transverse way 22 in end portion 7 of theiframe and open to the bore of pipe 12, Thus, as the plunger J andelementY D are moved so that said plunger and partition G approach oneanother a quantity of the luid in major chamber E is forced into minorchamber F through the means L, while the balance is forced into theupright pipe section 17 o1 means K.

Any suitable means may be provided for im} arting movement to theplunger J and element D, but in the example shown, the means M comprisesa crank shaft 23, journaled in frame A, adapted to receive motion, asthrough gear wheel 24, from any suitable prime mover, not shown in thedrawings, this crank shaft having cranks 25 and 26 disposed atdiametrically opposite peints with respect to its axis; a connecting rod27 between thecranlr 25 and plunger J and one or more connecting rods 28between the other crank or cranks of the shaft, and the clement D, as tothe pins 11 thereof. 'lfhe wrists of the cranks 25 and 26 are at equaldistances from the axis of shaft 23, so that as the shaft rotatesmovement is imparted Vto the element D and plunger J simultaneously incounter Vdirection at an equal speed ratioand during the exhaustingstroke of the cylinder plunger,.i`rom the position of the parts as shownin Fig. 2, where the cranks are on dead center, to the position shown inFig. 4l of the drawings, the space between the plunger H, which isstationary, and the partionv is increased to an extent 50% of the spacebetween said partition G and movable plunger J, asv

eXisted at the beginning of the stroke. Therefore, 50% of the fluidcontents of chamber E, which at the beginning of the stroke, istransferred to minor chamber F, and 50% is transferred into the pipesection 17, however, inasmuch as the column of liquid, in the exampleshown in Figs. l to et inclusive, where a hydraulic jack is disclosed,may create a pressure in either the major or minor chambers, thepressure upon partition G is equalized, and hence the parts may come torest or assume a static condition at any point during the sphere ofmovement, without the weight olf the column of liquid in pipe 17, or theload upon head P thereof, having any tendency to actuate the parts. Itis thus to bc noted that this principle may be applied to a jack,elevator', hoist, or similar mechanisms where it is desired to bring theparts to rest, suddenly, and without the tendency of the load actuatingthe parts in a direction counter to that in which they may be moved bythe prime mover. Furthermore the prime mover is not subjected toitluctuating resistance during operation as it has but to overcomefriction of resistance to movement of parts, in order to do work. Equalfriction power must be imparted to the means M by the prime mover ineither raising or lowering the load, or in increasing er decreasing thepressure in a tank, ifor instance, since back pressure is equallydivided at each side of the main movable object ci the mechanism, thatis, in the eX- ample shown, the partition Cf of cylinder D.

ylhe engine is therefore at all times in a state of equilibrium in that,when inert, there is a balance between opposing forces, and when inoperation there is still this balance between opposing forces, and henceno tendency for the rate or direction of the motion to change incidentto accumulated pressure, tor the pressure is divided at each side ci themain movable object of the engine, rlhis state ot equilibrium isimportant in that, since, with an engine capable of operating and beingat all times in a state et equilibrium as to forces, it utilizes thetorce of gravity for a beneficial purpose,-- to permit the fluidactuated, such as a column of water, acted upon by the torce of gravityto aid in maintaining this equilibrium and a static condition of partswhen the prime mover ceases to actuate parts ot the engine.

lWhere the principle et the invention is applied to mechanisms, such asa pump, suitable devices as hereinbeiiore referred to, should beprovided to check back 'liow of the fluid. Referring more particularlyto Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the device S may be in the form of acheck valve interposed between the source of liquid supply Q and thetelescopic pipe section 14 and so arranged do work and thereforerealizing that conditions concurrent with the adoption of this inventionwill necessarily vary, l desire to emphasize the tact that various minorchanges in details ol' construction, proportions, and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to, when desired, without sacrilicing any of theadvantages o' my invention, as deiined in the appended claims.

l claim:

l. in engine of the character described comprising in combination, areciprocable cylinder divided into a major and a minor chamber open atopposite ends of the. cylinder, a reciprocable plunger in said majorchamber, a stationary plunger in said minor chamber with respect towhich said cylinder may move, means providing an outlet way for iiuidfrom said major chamber, means providing a by-pass way 'for conductingHuid from said outlet way to said minor chamber, and means Yforimparting movement to said cylinder and movable plunger simultaneouslyin counter directions at an equal speed ratio whereby equal amounts ot'the vfluid contents of the major chamber may be discharged into the saidoutlet way and into the said minor chamber through said by-pass way,during a stroke of said cylinder and plunger.

2. An engine et the character described comprising in combination, areciprocable cylinder divided into a major and a minor chamber open atopposite ends of the cylinder, a reciprocable plunger in said majorchamber, a stationary plunger in said minor chamber with respect towhich said cylinder may move, means providing an outlet way for lluidfrom said major chamber, means providing a by-pass way for conductingiiuid from said outlet way to said minor chamber, a shaft having cranksset at equal distances from its axis and diametrically opposite oneanother, a rod connecting one of said cranks with said movable plunger,and a rod connecting the other of said cranks to said cylinder, whereby,upon movement of said shaft, said cylinder and plunger may besimultaneously moved in counter directions at an equal speed ratiowhereby equal amounts of the fluid contents of the major lll@ chamber bedischarged into the said outlet way and into said minor chamber throughsaid by-pass Way, during aV stroke of said cylinder and plunger.

3. An engine of the character described comprising in combination, areciprocable cylinder divided into a'major and a minor chamber open atopposite ends of the cylinder, a reciprocable plunger in said majorchamber, a stationary plunger in said minor chamber with respect towhich said cylinder may move, stationary piping having a sectionparallel to the axis ol' movement of said movableY plunger, a pipecarried by Vsaid movable plunger, open to said major chamber andtelescoplng said section oit' said stationary piping, means .providing'aby-pass Way for conducting fluid from said stationary piping to saidminor chamber, and means for imparting movement to said cylinder andmovable plunger simultaneously in counter directions at an equal speedratio whereby equal amounts of the fluid contents oi the major chambermay be discharged into the said stationary piping and into said minorchamber through said by-pass Way, during a stroke of said cylinder andplunger.

4i. An engine of the character described comprising in combination, areciprocable cylinder divided into a major and a minor chamber open atvopposite ends of the cyl- Y inder, a reciprocable plunger in'said majorchamber', a stationary plunger in said minor chamber with respect towhich said cylinder may move, means providing an outlet Way for fluidfrom said major chamber, means providing a by-pass ivay for conductingfluid from said outlet Way to said minor chamber, a device in saidoutlet Way to prevent retur.. of fluid therefrom into said major andminor chambers, means for imparting movement to said cylinder andmovable plunger simulta neously in counter directions at an equal speedratio whereby equal 'amounts of the fluid contents of the major chambermay be discharged into the said outlet vvay and into said minor chamberthrough said hyd-pass Way, during a stroke oi said cylinder and plunger,means providing an inlet Way for iiuid to said major chamber, and adevice to prevent back flow oi Huid in said inletvvay during the powerstrokes of said cylinder and plunger.

comprising .in combination, a reciprocable element providing a major anda minorV major chamber, means providing an outlet Way for fluid fromsaid major chamber, a by-pass Way for communication of Yfluid betweensaid outlet Way Iand said minor chainber, and means ii'or impartingmovement to said reciprocable chambered element and movable plungersimultaneously in counter directions at an equal speed ratio wherebyequal amounts of the Huid contents of the major chamber may bedischarged into the said outlet. Way and into said minor chamber throughsaid by-pass Way, during a stroke oi said reciprocable element andplunger.

6. An enginel of the character described comprising in combination,means providing a Way to receive fluid under pressure, and means foractuating' fluid for deliveryA into said Way and comprising areciproeable cylinder having a partition, plungersat opposite sides oilsaid partition, and Ways in communication with said firstv Way and theinterior o-l' the cylinder at opposite sides of the iartition thatVires'sure therein will act' l 7 equally upon both sides of saidpartition.

7. In an engine of the character described,

the combination of a conduit for receiving fluid 'for the purpose oitdoing Work; a reciprocable cylinder and a reciprocable plunger Workingtherein, said cylinder including a head and said head and plungermovable simultancmisly toward each-othe at equal speed ratio for forcingfluid into said conduit; and means for delivering` fluid to 4act uponsaid cylinderhead at its iaoe opposite to said plunger during the saidmovement of said cylinder and piston to balance the pressure at eachside of said head.

ANDREW n. Minnen.

o. in engine vof the character described

